The Price of Dreams
by ultimatedramaqueen
Summary: Post GSD. The Ultimate Coordinator was the dream but there was a price to pay for its fruition. The price: a life. Creating the Ultimate Coordinator brought war, so a child was created to bring peace. What's a girl to do when she is expected to bring peace to the world but all she knows is fighting? YzakxOC.
1. Termination

**Chapter 1: Termination**

**Earth, 2073 A.D.**

A young woman stumbled along the rough terrain of a valley. Exhaustion and fear lined her face. She could no longer remember how long she had been running; all she knew was that she had to live. Every step was agony as pain would shoot up her arm right to the spot where she had been shot an hour ago—a lifetime ago.

"Oh God! Don't let me die!" She gasped out loud in her desperation. Only if some deity would deliver her from what was to come when she her legs would eventually give out. Blood dripped into her right eye clouding her vision and she lethargically swiped at its source and winced. She knew that the cut above her brow was merely a flesh wound but it still hurt like hell. She heard the sound of barking and knew that it would soon grow louder to her ears.

The dogs were close behind. The men had let them out as soon as she had run far ahead. She was fast for a human but even for someone like her, and as fit as she was, breaking out into a full run for hours on rough terrain with a head wound, a bleeding arm, and other various scratches about her person was taking its toll.

She slowed as a large hill stood before her. Through her peripheral vision she knew that the only way to go was up. She couldn't stop now. They would soon be close enough to shoot.

_Come on climb! Faster dammit! _ She gasped as her wounded arm twitched and gave out. She couldn't go any farther. She knew she was going to die. In that moment, she remembered her mother, those beautiful gentle green eyes in a face that had always been full of laughter. She felt almost peaceful.

**BANG!**

It was just about the most excruciating pain in her life. She fell, clutching her leg, and screamed at the top of her lungs.

She was going to die.

Suddenly, she felt a tugging. It grew stronger and more persistent as seconds went by. Bright lights started to flash in front of her eyes. The vivid colors were blinding her. _ Shit, no one ever said it's terrifying to finally die._ Well, finally dying felt like being pulled through the eye of a needle. She was about to explode into bits when everything stopped. But the pain in her leg would not go away. So she screamed and screamed.

Then everything went black.

**Laboratory in Sextilis 3, PLANTs, C.E. 77**

Taptaptap...taptaptap...clack. A complex set of characters appeared on the computer screen in front of which a middle-aged man was seated. Creases lined his forehead and mouth, giving the 43-year old man a much older appearance. He had the look of one not accustomed to an easy life and for the past ten years that had been so.

After carefully entering the last equation into the system, Dr. Anthony Becker gave a deep sigh of relief and exhaustion. Ten years of hard unyielding sacrifice had finally brought the results he had hoped for. It was about time too. The world was so far still at peace, but word through the grapevine was that political unrest was once again rising on Earth.

Dr. Becker stood up to his imposing height of six feet and two inches, only decreased by the slight stoop he had developed after bending over lab machines for over a decade. Stretching and feeling a few joints popping, he groaned and thought of the hot bath that awaited him when he was finally done with this project. _Tony, old boy, you need a break,_ he thought to , those demons would be put to rest. He had made a vow 12 years ago when the only woman he had ever loved turned to him for help. All those years ago, he had been hesitant to go along with her crazy plans, but there was nothing crazy about them now. The day Junius 7 exploded with her in it, he had lost his desire to do anything but fulfil the one thing that would bring her peace, wherever she was now. He slammed a fist onto the counter, causing his very quiet lab assistants to jump. _I'm always too damn nice for my own good. That woman! Really! It's been, what, 5 years since Bloody Valentine! Tony, you are a freak, you think she hears you wherever she is now?_ His face sobered. The eccentric doctor's technical assistants were at this point already used to his peculiar if somewhat unpredictable moments of moodiness. For all that the man was really quite strange and often antisocial, he was still a good boss, AND he paid them well. How he got the funds for a project of this scale was beyond them but the pay was good and if getting to pay the monthly rent on time meant knowing how to keep their mouths shut, who were they to question his methods.

Dr. Becker suddenly mumbled something aloud, more to himself, talking to no one in particular, "Lenore, you're lucky I keep my promises. Well, I guess the child's the lucky one to have escaped all this. Ten years! Ten damn years, you hear. I have worked nonstop for ten years just to fulfill that wish of yours. Are you happy now?" His assistants quickly glanced at one another. This was the first time their boss had ever mentioned a name other than theirs. But then one by one they shrugged. It was his problem.

One of the younger assistants interrupted the older man's train of thought with an exaggerated clearing of his throat. Dr. Becker frowned at the young man who then started shifting nervously from one foot to another. Taking a deep breath, he bravely announced, "Everything is ready, sir."

"Very good, boy. Now bring up the power to 50% first. I don't want any mistakes."

The young man made a signal to one of his colleagues. He pressed a few buttons, and the machine came to life. A whirring sound coming from a fairly large cylindrical tube approximately a meter in diameter slowly increased in volume. The lights flickered briefly then stabilized.

"Good. Good. Raise it up to 80%. That's it. When I give the signal, put it on full. Wait...almost...NOW!" The assistant had just turned the dial to 100% when all the occupants of the laboratory jumped in surprise.

**BAMMM!**

The laboratory door was knocked off its hinges, and soldiers rushed in, pointing their weapons at the doctor and his assistants.

A man with the insignia of an officer pointed a gun at him saying, "Dr. Anthony Becker, there have been reports of suspicious activities occurring in your laboratory. You are to be taken into custody until futher notice."

"WAIT!" the doctor said, bringing himself up to his full height. He suddenly looked menacing, more terrifying than his colleagues ever thought he could be.

"Don't move doctor, or I will have no choice but to shoot," was the cool reply.

"Just wait. If you take me now, you may kill someone you may find very valuable to PLANTs in the near future." There was a glint in the doctor's eyes. He was a sly man and he knew the Supreme Council's attitudes quite well. They would not be pleased to lose something that might give them an advantage all because of an officer's attempt to play hero. And this kid—officer he might be but he was still a kid really—knew enough to agree with his assessment of PLANTs administrators. The officer lowered his gun, accurately assessing the situation. Dr. Becker was not going anywhere in the next few minutes. He was also clearly not dangerous in the violent fashion. The other men with the officer were not so sure and kept their weapons levelled at his chest.

Just then, the machine which had been vibrating furiously but was going unnoticed by everyone made a thundering noise, and then it stopped.

It caught everyone's attention and the blond officer slowly approached the machine with curiosity.

The door swung open and inside a young woman with dark brown hair was curled up on the floor. She was bleeding profusely from wounds on her arms, head, and leg; she was screaming so loudly it hurt to listen to her.

If there was anything more shocking that the injured girl who had suddenly appeared, the doctor paled and with a hoarse voice, he begged—actually begged—to move to her side."She's hurt! Let me help her!" the doctor pleaded. The blonde officer was not a monster and he felt a twinge of guilt knowing he could not grant the doctor's request due to protocol—blasted protocol! He did the only thing he could do given the situation.

"No. My men will take her to a medical unit. You have done enough," the officer said solemnly. He turned to his left to speak to one of his subordinated but some of his men proved to be quicker. Before a minute was up, a stretcher had miraculously been produced and borne to the girl's side. Two men immediately put the girl on it. They had done things like this before and the process was made quicker because she had stopped screaming and seemed to be unconscious.

The officer beckoned for the doctor and his assistants to follow the stretcher out the door. The doctor's assistants quietly did so without protest. They were too astonished by the girl's terrible condition. Even they had not expected anything so dramatic and as such were not in a state to oppose the orders of the men with the big guns. Dr. Becker took one last glance at what he had worked towards for over a decade, and then he shook his head with a sigh. _It's done. I don't need it anymore,_ he said to that small part of him which felt regret and sentimentality. _The world does not need any more chaos as it is._ He followed his assistants out.

"Sir, the laboratory?"

The young officer looked at the carefully assembled equipment, at the machines with data that certain people might feel important enough to salvage and reuse. He turned away from it and headed straight towards the exit. "Blow it up. Nothing leaves this place."

"Sir?"

"Is there a problem Lieutenant?"

"Well, errm, there might be something useful here...Sir."

The blonde officer's expression turned cold. "Were my orders not clear, _Lieutenant_?"

The unspoken message was clear. The Lieutenant was speaking to a Captain; it was his mandate to obey.

"Y-yessir—Captain." He saluted sharply and hastened to relay the order.

The first vehicle was quickly en route to the closest medical facilities with the girl on board. The blond officer stayed a little longer. He first made a call to his commanding officer in a voice that was surprisingly grim—for him. "Yzak, I think there's something you need to see. Hurry to the Rebus Medical Center." He cocked his head to the side for a moment, listening to the sharp reply from his commander and best friend, answered in affirmative that he would head directly for the hospital then hung up.

After giving the order to take Becker to the appropriate facility and to leave one transport for his use, Dearka Elsman shook his head and sighed in frustration. It had been his first assignment of the sort. He had not expected anything so unconventional. Thinking back on reports about Becker, he had concluded that the man was not so much a loony but a crabby workaholic. He still wasn't sure whether he was right but the man had not made any problems for them. As if he had been expecting this to happen. Dearka rubbed his head in confusion. "Sir, we are ready to depart. What is our destination?" The blonde was surprised that he had forgotten to tell his driver where to go. "Rebus Medical." The driver nodded then backed out of the area. They drove to the hospital in absolute silence. The men were unsure about talking to Dearka because he was normally quite easygoing for a commanding officer; his seriousness was something they rarely encountered. Little did they know, Dearka was unsure himself when it came to addressing these men who treated him like a minor deity when he had been sent to do what Commander Yzak Joule considered hard labor. To quote his superior officer, he was "such a damned nuisance all the time; it was about time he did something useful." He grinned wickedly, but not without affection, thinking of the next thing he would do to annoy the poor guy. Yzak really needed to get out once in a while.

As they neared the medical facility, Dearka's thoughts were once more diverted to the subject of the mysterious wounded girl. Sighing, he thought, _Poor little lady. Hope she makes it. She looked to be quite important to that old man. I wonder who she is…_


	2. Realization

**Chapter 2: Realization**

**Rebus Medical Center, Sextilis 3, PLANTs**

Dearka sat outside the mystery girl's hospital room, waiting for Yzak to arrive. When he heard the steady march of footsteps, indicating military, he turned his head and stood up to greet his Commander. The silver-haired Coordinator was alone and in civilian clothing. If he was here incognito, the issue was probably more serious than Dearka had supposed.

"Dearka." Yzak acknowledged. "Don't look at me like that! It takes at least 4 hours to get here from Martius City without being recognized. Blast that election!"

The blonde smirked. Yzak really needed a break. But no, he had to go and run for re-election to a seat in the PLANT Supreme Council, which he had first won in C.E.74 after the war ended. Dearka sort of felt bad for heaving another problem onto his friend's shoulders... sort of. "Don't worry, Yzak. Her condition is stable now. The doctors have been able to remove the bullet from her leg. She had a cut above her brow, nothing that can't be fixed. Her arm was grazed by a bullet, again, nothing that can't be fixed. And whaddya know, she's a Coordinator."

"Hmph. That still doesn't solve the problem of who she is and what we do with her. My sources—"

"Meaning your mother," Dearka interrupted.

Yzak glared at him and continued, "My sources didn't tell me that we'd have a civilian to worry about."

"Actually...errr...she's not a civilian."

Yzak's glare was even more frigid, "What? What do you mean she's not a civilian?"

"Shh...Yzak, calm down. Geez, you'll wake up the entire ward." Dearka gestured with his hands in an attempt to calm down his fuming friend. He glanced around nervously, hoping nobody would evict them from the spot. "I mean, she's not civilian but she's not from ZAFT or any other military organization that I know of."

"Then why did you—" Yzak lowered his voice at a warning look from Dearka. "Why did you say she's not civilian?"

"Flight suit. Dog tags." Dearka proudly held up a shiny string from which two small metal plates were hanging.

"Let me see that." Yzak impatiently snatched the cord from the blonde. His eyebrows rose as he read the engraving. "A.E. Grant. Rank: _Commander_! Date of Appointment: _9/11/93_! Blood type: AB. U.S.N."

"You see, Yzak, U.S.N. I'm guessing N is Navy. The closest thing to U.S. is the United States of South America but they don't issue tags like that. And the date—"

"I know idiot," Yzak softly growled. "It's C.E. 77 now, so the closest date to that would be A.D. 2073. And the rank says commander..." Yzak suddenly rubbed his face in both weariness and frustration. "This makes it much more complicated."

The two stood side by side, lost in their own thoughts. Then suddenly, "Wait. You said the girl's a Coordinator. Coordinators were supposedly not yet in existence then!"

"Really? How d'ya know that?" Dearka scratched his head in bemusement.

"I listened in History class, unlike you."

Dearka easily dismissed the criticism with a wave of his hand. "So where could she have possibly gotten these? They should be displayed as historical artifacts, donated to a museum.

"How should I know, Dearka? I was a good student, not omniscient!"

"Hey easy there, Yzak. I don't expect you to know the answer."

"THEN WHY ASK!"

A nervous-looking nurse approached them, probably wary of Dearka's ZAFT uniform. "Excuse me sirs. If you would please lower your voice. There are patients resting."

Yzak scowled but nodded in acquiescence. Dearka smiled good-naturedly and asked, "Can we go in now?"

The nurse relaxed a bit and glanced at her watch. She answered Dearka, completely ignoring Yzak who was still scowling and obviously NOT in military uniform, "Visiting hours isn't for another thirty minutes but I see no harm in letting you in a bit early, Sir. You are the one who brought her in, yes?"

"Great! Thanks..." Dearka quickly glanced at the nurse's nametag, "...Sara," he finished. The nurse smiled at him and replied, "No problem." She scribbled something on her pad, tore out a sheet and handed it to Dearka, "If you need anything, just give me a call."

Dearka took the offered paper and winked. "Sure thing." The nurse walked away still smiling.

Yzak glanced at the sheet and snorted in disgust. "Yeesh, you constantly mope about that crazy Natural when you're on base, but you flirt with the first female you see when you have a moment of freedom."

"I wasn't flirting with her," Dearka defended himself and indirectly—in his mind—his beloved Miriallia Haw. "I was simply being friendly. It's not my fault she chose to give me her number."

Yzak looked at him sceptically but chose not to comment as they entered the hospital room.

"Looks like the doctors have taken good care of her," Yzak commented then raised an eyebrow. "But this isn't a private facility. I need to talk to the doctors and nurses who have seen her."

"That's already been taken care of. You're not the only one with deep pockets you know."

"So they _do_ pay you better now that you've finally been promoted to Captain...after, what, FIVE years."

"You know about that Yzak, you are after all on the Supreme Council National Defense Committee. Heck, you were probably even the one who approved my salary increase, if I didn't know better."

"I didn't. Knowledge about how much they pay the likes of you is beneath the dignity of people like me," Yzak smirked and folded his arms as he leaned against a wall, smug in his victory.

Dearka pouted then took a seat on the sofa facing the bed. He sighed in relief as he stretched his legs. It was going to be a long wait; might as well get comfortable.

She could hear voices in the distance. She tried to make out the words but they were nothing but gibberish to her ears. She tried to see the one who spoke but it was dark where she lay. Gradually the faint murmurs sorted themselves into a comprehensible language.

"Yo, anybody home?"

"Dearka, stop that. She's still sleeping. See, her eyes are shut."

"But there was a sudden spike in her blood pressure and brain activity."

_Blood pressure? Brain activity?_ Okay, so she was in the hospital. _But why?_ She tried to remember and then the images came back and she gasped at the pain from the memories. _I'm alive! Where am I? WakeupWakeupWakeup!_

Dearka and Yzak heard the gasp and focused on the young woman's face for any signs of wakefulness. They both nearly jumped back in surprise when her eyes suddenly flew open and a bright emerald gaze looked back at them unseeingly.

Alex flinched in pain as the first thing that greeted her when she opened her eyes was a bright shaft of light. She squeezed them shut momentarily then cautiously opened them again. This time her surroundings slowly came into focus and she identified the overhead fluorescents as the source of the bright light. To her right, she saw a tan face with a messy mop of blond hair. The face was grinning and a pair of hands helped lift her up so she could see much better. _Okay, so I'm not going to die...yet._

"I see you're awake," another voice spoke. It was frosty and arrogant and brought her hackles up.

She turned her head towards the voice, and her eyes met the striking blue orbs of a man with silvery hair and very pale skin. _Okay wow, that's weird. The grandpa has the skin of a baby._

The blonde pursed his lips which trembled. Alex was just about to wonder what she did wrong when the blonde gave a shout of laughter. He laughed so hard that tears started coming out of his eyes. "You heard that—gasp—Yzak. She—gasp—she—ha!" The blonde whom Alex had figured out by now was the guy called Dearka started to _roll on the floor._ Glancing at the silver-haired dude and seeing a bright red glow on his cheeks, it finally dawned on her that she had spoken out loud about him. _Oh shit!_

"You may be right about that. It is a shitty thing to say about Yzak. But you've hit quite close to home." Dearka had stopped laughing so hard by then and was carefully composing himself. Alex realized that she had spoken out loud again. Okay, so she wasn't going to think anything to herself for now. Dearka had finally sobered at that point and had the graciousness to ask for her name.

Instead of answering, which she knew to be rude, she answered with a question, "_Where_ am I? Who _are_ you?"

"Good question. Miss, you are in a hospital."

Alex made a face and decided to go with her current manner since Dearka didn't seem to mind her irritability. "I know that. I mean where specifically, and don't tell me the room number. Country and city please."

"Oh, you're in Sextilis 3."

"Which is..._where_?"

"PLANTS. Obviously."

"Dearka," the silver-haired Yzak interrupted, "It's probably not so obvious for her where Sextilis City is. Remember A.D. 2073?"

Understanding dawned on Dearka's face and he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe you should give her a briefing Yzak."

Yzak raised his eyes heavenward as if asking for patience. "Fine," he grunted and pushed himself off the wall which he was leaning against. "We are currently in Sexitilis 3, a sector of Sextilis City in PLANTs, which is a...territory orbiting the Earth that is inhabited by Coordinators. We, all three of us, are Coordinators. Our genetic makeup is different from those of what we call Naturals since our genes have been enhanced to make us generally faster, stronger, and smarter than Naturals, who have not been enhanced. I am Yzak Joule, a commander in the military and also a Council member in the PLANTs governing body. This idiot is Dearka Elsman, a captain in the military and currently my aide. You are in the hospital because we found you injured during a military raid. We will not hold you here against your will but if my guess is correct, you will have difficulty assimilating. Now, what is your name?"

Alex was still struggling to understand everything Yzak Joule had just told her, so she unthinkingly replied, "Alex Grant." She gasped and could have kicked herself for blabbing out her name so easily.

Yzak despite his looks was a softie for females because of his mother, so he carefully said, "There is no need to worry about us hurting you. You were in the navy in A.D. 2073, right?"

Alex stared at Yzak in confusion. "You say A.D. 2073 as if it's no longer A.D." Then all the information about PLANTs and Coordinators hit her. She sat straighter as if she had been zapped in the back. "What year is it?"

"Cosmic Era 77," Yzak immediately replied.

"Oh boy," Alex suddenly seemed to deflate. "I hoped this day would never come," she mumbled sadly. She looked at Yzak and asked him, "Please. Tell me what has happened in the last fifteen years."

Yzak was taken aback. He had not expected her to accept the facts so easily. "Wait. Are you not denying that you are from A.D. 2073? Why are you accepting this so easily? It's been over a hundred years since then!"

Alex looked at him with weary eyes and said, "I am from that time and also from this time. I was born in C.E.56 on Junius 7."

Hearing this, Yzak and Dearka exchanged uneasy looks.

"What is it?"

Yzak cleared his throat and tried to answer in a steady voice. "You said you want to know what's happened in the last fifteen years? Well, there have been two wars between Naturals and Coordinators, one in C.E. 70 and another in C.E. 73. Tensions were escalating for years before the war started, but nothing was official until the Earth Alliance launched a nuclear attack on the 14th of February C.E. 70 and a PLANT was hit."

"And the PLANT was?" Alex's voice shook. She feared that Yzak would tell her what she already knew.

"Junius 7."

She tried to hold her fears at bay. "And what of its residents?"

"None who were on Junius 7 survived."

"Oh," she choked out.

"I'm sorry."

Alex nodded and her vision blurred. There had been too much loss for her in one day. She needed some time to cope.


	3. Revelation

**Chapter 3: Revelation**

**2 weeks later, Shuttle dock, Aprilius One**

"Stick to Dearka, he'll get you to my mother," Yzak instructed Alex. Alex merely nodded and stepped back as Yzak quietly went over things with Dearka. It was Yzak's plan to send the young woman to Ezalia Joule for protection since they hadn't quite figured out what to do with her. Her situation was delicate as there was so little information to go on, and now was not the time to misstep. Because it was indeed Ezalia who had given Yzak the information on Dr. Becker, it made sense that she would have a proper solution to their conundrum. The ex-Supreme Council member had been privy to much information when she was in power and several of her informants had remained loyal and very accurate. Upon her exile to Martius City, she had declared herself in retirement and continued to refuse invitations to meet with various political and military figures. As a current member of the PLANT Supreme Council, Yzak could not take Alex to Ezalia himself since he was a person of high visibility especially in the capital. Now that he was running for re-election, the chances of his going unnoticed were even slimmer. So he left Alex in the hands of the only other person Ezalia would welcome into her home without question. Dearka could be useful at times, charmer that he was.

Alex had been quiet for most of the trip to Aprilius City. Her leg still caused her pain and it would be a few more weeks before she would regain full use of it. As it was, her being a Coordinator had decreased the period of her convalescence to 2 weeks instead of the customary 4 or more. She could even walk without assistance already, though the effort caused her to break out in cold sweat after a few minutes. Military training or not, she had really gone and done a number on her leg. She was obviously thinking too hard when Dearka lightly tapped her arm, indicating that she should follow him. Alex blinked and automatically followed. While she had been consumed in her thoughts, Yzak had quietly left without so much as a by your leave. Alex huffed silently; she was miffed for some reason.

"Well little duckling, looks like it's just us for now. Don't look down and just follow me casually, no one will notice you that way."

Alex glared at the back of his head. If she wasn't quite convinced by now that some of the wiring in the blonde's head had already been fried at one point, she would be sorely tempted to attempt frying it herself. _Too bad I can fry his brain with my brain. Stupid Coordinator! Who you calling a duckling? You blond fuzzyheaded idiot look more like a duckling._ She inwardly laughed at the ridiculousness of her thoughts.

Dearka meanwhile felt a chill go down his spine. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn that he felt a distinctly menacing aura emanating from somewhere behind him.

**Office of the PLANT Supreme Council, Aprilius One**

As the elevator he was in zoomed up the tower, Yzak sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to release some of the tension he could feel building at his temples. Too much was happening at the moment, he really needed a break. Actually, he needed another assistant than just Dearka. He knew that during the previous war and the few months after, Shiho Hahnenfuss had more than helped with half of Dearka's work. But she had refused to leave the military when he had offered her a job as his aide, stating a lack of desire to mingle with politicians. Of course, it also probably had something to do with the fact that he had broken her heart somewhere along the way without realizing it. How was he supposed to have known that the dratted woman was in love with him? They were in a war; of course he wasn't thinking about a love life! He knew that at one point his mother hoped they would make a match of it, but dammit sometimes she expected too much of him.

He had always been aware that his mother had hoped that he would follow in her footsteps. Of course, she had known of his shortcomings and had thus limited her expectations to something more reasonable. She had not expected him to go so far in such a short time. But Yzak was nothing if not brilliant and driven—to the point of near-insanity at times. For all that war was a terrible thing, it had bestowed upon Yzak a greater sense of maturity. He was now feared and respected in the military; feared because he was fearless and respected because while he had a temper, his judgment was sound and he was honorable. And Ezalia knew that, which made it harder for him to say no to her, not that it was easy to begin with. If there was one thing Yzak was, it was a momma's boy, and he knew it. People just weren't allowed to say it.

The elevator doors slid open and Yzak stepped out and resolutely marched towards his office. He knew that the glare on his face kept anyone from approaching him at the moment. Those who knew him well, say Dearka, would have noticed that he was walking faster than usual. Yzak would not admit it, even to himself, that he was at that moment running away from the bane of his existence—the so-called administrative assistants. He was so submerged in paperwork that he hadn't seen the surface of his office desk in weeks. Weren't there other Council members to throw paperwork at?

He had nearly made it to his office—his hand was already reaching for the door to be exact—when Tad Elsman, who was incidentally Dearka's father, approached him. _Great, the one man who gave Dearka that irritating gene that allows him to ignore my temper!_ Yzak seethed in his head but maintained a neutral face when he turned to face the ex-Council member.

"Ah, Yzak! Just the man I was looking for. I just wanted to give you a word of advice. I think it would be helpful if you prepared yourself for the meeting this afternoon." Tad gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder. Yzak inwardly winced; the senior Elsman was too energetic in his gesture of encouragement.

"What's going on, Sir? In fact, I would also like to know why you are here. I thought you've retired." Yzak asked his earlier rage forgotten to be replaced by curiosity and a feeling that he was going to regret knowing.

"Oh just running some errands for an old friend. Don't worry about it though. There's been talk about some changes in the way the Council is to be run. Most would say it's good news, but knowing how you are, you may need some time to settle your thoughts."

"The news?" Yzak raised an eyebrow, clearly impatient.

"Weeell. The polls have been pretty stable so far and at this rate, we pretty much know who will win. There's already talk about who the next Supreme Council chair will be."

"And who do these rumors say will be the next Supreme Council chair?"

"I can't say."

Yzak's eyebrow started to twitch, "Then why tell me?"

"I mean, I'm not allowed to tell you outright. You get what I mean."

Yzak shook his head violently, "No. How is it even legal for you to know who it might be? It's the people's vote." But he was starting to get a bad feeling, that feeling in his gut that always preceded trouble.

"Well, about that. The changes will touch on that. Don't worry son. I'm sure it will sink in by the time you get to the meeting. Well, I've held you up long enough. Time for me to run along." He gave Yzak another heavy pat on the shoulder. Yzak was too distracted to notice. His thoughts were ultimately heading in a direction he did not want to face.

Yzak numbly stepped into his office. "Oh great, next thing you know these geezers will manage to get me to accept the job. Mother would be ecstatic," he muttered to himself, leaning back against the door which had slid shut behind him. Oh yes, knowing his mother, she would practically die of excitement then gloat for a few days until she grew bored with that. Then, the horrors would begin. If there was one thing his mother was determined to do, now that she had nothing much to do, it was to see him married off to the first suitable girl he spent more than 5 minutes talking to.

Yzak swore violently. For once in his life, he hoped he was wrong.

**Joule Estate, Martius 4**

Alex gaped at the ostentatious display of fountains and marble statues lining the mile-long driveway leading to the Joule mansion. She had been born in PLANTs, yes, but she had never seen so much—so much! She remembered living in a big house, but it was not as showy as this.

Dearka struggled to keep his laughter to himself. Alex's face was practically glued to the window of the limo. The trip to Martius City had only been a few hours but he had quickly learned not to annoy her too much; her rage was truly something to behold. Yzak could probably use a few pointers in that direction. Then again, he didn't need any help in that field; he was already a master himself—albeit one Dearka was already desensitized to.

The automobile stopped right before the house doors which immediately flew open as if someone was eagerly awaiting their arrival. Dearka jumped right out of the car, while Alex took her sweet time, apprehensively eyeing the doorway for the person who would emerge at any second. What she did not expect was the silver-haired lady with the pretty earrings.

She felt a mental jolt as her memories identified the face as one she had often encountered in her early years of childhood. The earrings were familiar as well.

"Oh my dear Alexandra!" Alex was unexpectedly wrapped in the arms of the silver-haired woman whom she assumed was Yzak's mother.

"You know each other?" Dearka blurted out in surprise.

"Of course we do, Dearka. I am her godmother," Ezalia answered much to Alex's surprise. She had not known that, and it had been such a long time ago.

"But if you're her godmother, then you know what happened to her family!" Dearka exclaimed.

Ezalia looked at him thoughtfully. "Maybe. But first, let's go inside." With a hand against Alex's back, she managed to steer them into the house and straight into what looked like a...sitting room? As Alex struggled to accept that the really of a sitting room, Ezalia went on to uncover several dishes set upon the tea table. "I've prepared refreshments. Alexandra, I do hope you like strawberries. I've been trying out a new recipe I found. It's called strawberry shortcake."

"I do like strawberries," Alex answered in a respectful tone, easily accepting the offered dish, "and I like strawberry shortcake even better. And it's just Alex, ma'am."

"Ma'am? Nonsense, you should not call me that. You may call me Auntie or just Ezalia."

"Ah, yes ma—Ezalia."

"Better. Now Alexandra—I suppose I should call you Alex since you have agreed to call me Ezalia. But it's such a masculine name. Alexa is more feminine, you should call yourself that. It suits you."

"Thank you?" Alex answered doubtfully. She had answered to Alex for a very long time and she was quite happy with her nickname thank you.

Dearka who had been silently lost in his thoughts for quite a while, thoughtfully looked back and forth between the two women. Something was niggling at the back of his mind. There was just too much being unsaid between the Ezalia and Alex. He was quickly realizing that Ezalia had more than just provided intel about Becker's experiments; she _knew_ Alex would be there. Quickly compiling everything he had learned about Alex so far, he realized that there were only a few more pieces left to complete the puzzle in his head. Some of the things she had carelessly said had been telling about her past—the past before the military service and her adoption.

"So my dear, has Yzak been treating you well?"

"Yes, he has been very thoughtful." Meanwhile inside her head Alex thought, _The hell! What's she doing? Matchmaking at a time like this? I need to know more. Now! Patience Alex._

"Thoughtful? I see. It's a shame he couldn't come along to visit. I do miss that boy."

An awkward silence descended on them. Alex had no idea what she was supposed to say. _Am I supposed to say Aw shucks ma'am, I miss him too? Now where did that come from? Useless brain!_

Ezalia was silently berating herself for being too eager when Alex did not immediately answer. She had been a politician up to a few years ago, but she wasn't getting any younger and her son had yet to develop more than comradely feelings for any woman. She was more than entitled to rush a bit.

Finally, Dearka took pity on them and was first to break the silence. He had finally come to a few conclusions and was willing to test his theory. "Ehem. Yzak sends his regrets. Said he would call when he gets some free time." He suspected Ezalia had more than a few plans up her sleeve and was willing to bet Alex was at the center of things, along with Yzak. Of course.

"Dearka, we both know that Yzak does not get free time. Of course, since he disappeared for two weeks—I assume in your company—he won't be getting any free time soon."

"Yes, but I think that might change soon."

"Oh?"

"Yes, Yzak's been a bit more relaxed the past two weeks. You could say he was enjoying the company of a select few." Ezalia shifted slightly, subconsciously shifting closer to pay attention. Dearka's eyes very slightly narrowed. "He's been talking about needed another assistant lately, to lighten his load." _Jackpot. _Ezalia's eyes lit up and they shifted to glance at Alex, who was staring at them without comprehension.

"Does he have anyone in mind yet?" Ezalia asked.

"Not yet, but I believe he will be more than willing to give anyone you recommend a try."

"Yes, of course. But you know how Yzak is. The last time, I sent Shiho to him. And what did the boy do? He scared her off!"

"Actually, I think he was just not ready for that, Ezalia. But he's twenty-three now. I think he's just about ready to accept that kind of future."

"Yes, that might just work. It's about time anyway, can you believe I had him when I was just sixteen. That is a big difference." It didn't take much to convince Ezalia when this was where she was headed in her plans anyway. And not one to waste time, she soon addressed Alex in what she deemed to be a casual enough manner—not that she was fooling Dearka. "Alexa my dear, what are your plans for the immediate future? You may stay with me for as long as you like. But if you want to go out and do something else, I can help you with that too."

Alex knew that she was missing something from Dearka and Ezalia's recent exchange; but she also knew that asking about it would get her nowhere, so she decided to go with asking about her family, which Dearka had probably already forgotten about. "Actually, I want to find out what happened to my family. It's been fourteen years since I last saw them but you have connections. And you knew them. I know because I remember you."

"Oh my," Ezalia blinked quickly, Dearka suspected it was to hold back tears. "Yes, I do have what you seek, but you see it's not something I can tell you very easily."

Alex swallowed but pressed on. "I think I can take it. Yzak already told me about the Bloody Valentine. I remember Junius 7, my mother had a house there."

"Yes, she did. But your father and brother were in December City on that day."

"So they're alive? My dad and brother are alive?" There was both hope and sadness in Alex's voice. Ezalia felt a lump in her throat which she forced down. Her news would bring pain but it had to be done.

"Your father—he was killed in the First Bloody Valentine War."

Alex grit her teeth, her jaw twitched with the effort. _Deep breaths._ "My brother?"

"He's alive."

Alex felt the blood rush to her head. She wasn't alone. Her brother was alive!

"But he currently resides in the Orb Union. He was exiled there after the first war; after the second, he decided to live there for other reasons."

Dearka suddenly shot up to his feet. "Orb? Exile? Are you saying—are you saying her brother is Athrun, Athrun Zala?"

Ezalia looked at him sternly, "Yes. This is Patrick Zala's daughter, Alexandra Leyna Zala. There were reasons why Lenore faked the death of her seven-year old child. I trust that you will keep this all to yourself. If the wrong people learn about this, many more will die."

"But why? Why did she have to be sent to a different time? They could have just sent her away to Scandinavia or Oceania."

Ezalia ignored his question, leaving him sputtering, and turned to Alex, "Do you know why your mother sent you away?"

Alex shook her head. "No. She said I would know when the time came. Do you know why?"

Ezalia stuck her hand into the pocket of her blazer and carefully drew out an envelope. She stretched her arm and held it out to Alex. "Here, take it. It's addressed to you."

Alex gingerly took the offered item and flipped it over to view the writing on it. Her eyebrows rose. "It's in my mother's writing. She would write my name just like this on all my stuff." She smiled slightly in recollection; recognizing such a detail made her feel closer to her mother. "May I?"

Ezalia nodded. Alex broke the seal and drew out several sheets of paper.

_February 2, C.E. 70_

_My dearest Alexandra,_

_First of all, happy fourteenth birthday! How glad I am that I have finally been able to greet you with your knowing it. I have wept many times over those lost years, for missing all these moments in your life. But if it means that you will have the chance to live and grow then it would have all been worth it._

_Since you are reading this letter, it means that I am no longer with you and cannot tell you this in person. I have entrusted this letter to a friend, you may remember her for those earrings you always tried to steal from her. Although Ezalia is a tough person to face, she is unwaveringly loyal and she will protect you. Trust her as I trust her, she will be of much use to you._

_I know you have many questions. Why I sent you away, why you have only been brought back now, why I have written this letter. First I will answer that last question. You may have already come to the conclusion that if I am writing this letter, it means that I already know my time is up. In some ways you are right. I do not yet know the time or cause of my passing, but I can feel it in the air—I felt it the moment you were born and the feeling has grown to a point that I know the time is near. War is coming to us whether we like it or not, and I am helpless to stop it. Your brother will soon be old enough to do decide his future, and I can do nothing but pray for his safety. He has a special part to play in the coming events, I know that. But you, my daughter, I was able to do something about._

_That is why I sent you away, to make sure that you live to see this day. That you will live through the wars that are approaching. I know that I have not sent you to a life that was guaranteed to shelter you through every pain, and for that I am sorry. I have placed a great burden on your shoulders, partly because I know you can do it and partly because there is no choice for us._

_You see, when second-generation Coordinators are born, it is with genetic traits assigned by nature. You are a second-generation Coordinator, but there was nothing random about your genetic makeup. You see, a year before you were born, a brilliant group of scientists led by a young genius named Hibiki set out to create a child so superior that he could not be born of a mother's womb. The Ultimate Coordinator project was a success and many knew it, but many also resented it and brought it to an end. But they say the child lived and I hope that if he is alive somewhere, he will grow up to be compassionate and a lover of peace. _

_But we cannot place our futures on hopes and dreams that may turn to dust after all, so another group of geneticists secretly made another child. And that is where you and I come in. At that time, I was approached in hopes of their gaining funding for the project. You see this project was headed by my best friend and her husband. They were idealists and believed that there should be someone with skills at par with the Ultimate Coordinator, should something ever go wrong. But you see the Ultimate Coordinator project used technology which they could not replicate after its destruction, so they found another solution. They discovered that if they tweaked the genes of a child whose parents were already Coordinators, they could more or less replicate the accuracy with which the Ultimate Coordinator project perfected the evolution of a Natural child into a superhuman. The solution was perfect in theory, but you see they needed two more things: a volunteer who could keep their secret and one whose child carried good Coordinator genes. I knew that the combination of my DNA with that of your father's would result in a very talented child, as evidenced by your older brother. So I volunteered, and Patrick could not deny me this._

_Because the funding was all private and mostly provided by the Zala fortune, the project was never revealed to more than a select few, all very carefully screened and with much to lose if their participation was ever divulged. And you were born. At first, things looked to be normal. Then the slight differences in ability gradually became bigger differences. That your development was faster than that of the average Coordinator child soon became apparent. And all too soon, it became too apparent, and a few began to take notice. One of these was Lady Joule. _

_You cannot know my fear the day she confronted me. But my fears were unfounded. The woman has long been a family friend and underneath that icy exterior is a heart of gold, especially when children are involved. I was forced to tell her the truth, and to my surprise she had already thought long and hard about this and had already decided to give her full support. She was easily sworn to silence but she had thought even further ahead than I supposed. _

_A few days later, she introduced me to Dr. Anthony Becker. Of course I did not understand at first why she had introduced me to him as he is an expert in particle physics and astrophysics. But then Ezalia's plans are often hard to comprehend, and it was only when she explained things did I realize that she had spoken to Tony Becker about your protection. In her mind, there was only one solution: to deliver you from this place. You see, the problem with our world is that people wish to separate Naturals from Coordinators. In a world where everyone is just a human, where there is no such thing as Naturals and Coordinators, you will be able to grow up without the hate that defines the crisis we now face. You could live in that world until the time was right to bring you back—when the world was ready to accept change. You were 3 years old at that point but easily mistaken as a 5 year old. You were so grown up for your age and it was becoming more and more apparent to those around us. In my desperation to protect you, I agreed to this plan and Dr. Becker immediately went to work. He had already been experimenting for years on a prototype for travel into the past. It only took him four more years to perfect. And at that point you were a 7-year old will the social and academic intelligence to pass off as a 10-year old Coordinator child, equivalent to a 12-year old Natural. It was a now-or-never moment for me. Seven years is a long time to get to know someone, but it is an excruciatingly short moment for a mother when she has to part with her child. But PLANTs went into a severe energy crisis that year and it looked like there would be a war for independence, so I gave in._

_I am so sorry, my love. I am sorry for not being there for you as you grew up. How I dream of imagined moments between us. I can imagine how you look now, that brown hair from your father and those green eyes from me. You stand out in a crowd. You carry yourself with dignity. You are intelligent and can pass yourself off as a 19 or 20-year old. How the boys must be flocking to your door, but you ignore them because they aren't good enough for you and they are frankly just too old for you. You prefer boys who seem stern on the outside but have soft spots for the women they love. Good fashion sense eludes you but you can tell when others are dressed worse. You hate apples but love strawberries. You wear your hair up because it gets in the way too often. You can never sit still. You love daisies but hate roses. You take your coffee black unless it's a day of celebration; only then do you add a spoonful of sugar. And every night, when you close your eyes you remember me and how much I love you. I miss you, my darling girl._

_After reading this, you may hate me for agreeing to such an insane idea, and you may think that I am a weak woman. I know that you may not easily understand all the reasons why I did what I did, but there are some things that must be done to save humanity from itself. And this is one of those things. You may ask WHY ME? I cannot answer that for you. You must find the answer yourself. I can no longer guide you beyond these words. You are stronger than you think, you are capable of much more than you realize. Stay strong and steadfast of heart._

_Never doubt that I love you. And I pray that you will one day forgive me._

_Yours with all the love in my heart, _

_Lenore_

Alexa finished reading and looked up. She gratefully accepted the proffered tissue and dabbed at her face. But the tears refused to stop. She held her hands to her mouth attempting to stifle the sobs, but she could not keep silent. Ezalia and Dearka quietly sat and waited while she cried. Eventually she would run out of tears, but not just yet.


End file.
